So goes it at ATU 757 right now. It appears that his crony JONATHAN HUNT had appointed an election committee before he left office that was set up especially to make sure there was a challenge to the presidency if Heitnzman lost. Well he lost and the old reliable crony system functions just as well now as it did 100 years ago. The election committee has reccomended a new election of the presidency, the only race that had a somewhat clear victory for Bruce Hansen.
I personally think there should be new elections but president is not one of them. The treasurer lost by the thinnest of margins and the vice president lost only because of stupidest of rules that ATU 757 follows. YOU DON'T NEED A MAJORITY VOTE TO WIN OFFICE and we had some rather arrogant employees who decided they would throw their hat in the race. All of that lead to Jon Hunts Victory as vice president.
I have never been as hard on Jonathan Hunt as the majority of the membership has, but this is the last straw. We need to clear out the Heintzman/Hunt cabal once and for all.
Show up at the next union meeting and get this shit over with. The members are sick and tired of dealing with this blatant cronyism.
If Bruce Hansen is deposed I AM OUT OF THIS UNION FOREVER.
This is why REPUBLICANS win elections.
9 comments:
Dear Al,
Surely we agree on many things, and Former-President Heintzman's crooked wranglings are one.
If you'll permit me, I would like to take issue with two of your opinions in this latest posting.
The first is your contention that President Hansen received a, "Somewhat clear victory." As I understand the construct of a 'narrow margin of victory' (winners percentage minus 2nd place percentage), is concidered to be 7% or less of the total votes cast (2557).
I'm no expert in figures, believe me. But when I look at the actual vote count I see President Hansen won with 52.5% to Heintzman's 43.1%, a 9.4% margin. Yet, when I add 111 votes (mine and Mr. Subject's) to Heintzman's figure, President Hansen's margin drops to a small 5.1% margin. That is a narrow victory according to my understanding of the term.
The reality of re-running the race for president would most assuredly result in a lower voter turn-out making these margins even more tenuous. The simple switch of as few as 111 votes would have turned his 'clear victory' into a 'narrow victory'. 50 votes here, and 100 votes there makes all the difference when counting a smaller electorate like ours.
Because Mr. Hansen and his gang have rudely dismissed me and my supporters as not "IMPORTANT", because they conveyed utter and complete falsehoods about me in the media, because I received no acknowledgement of my polite concession on election day, and because my sacrefice for his ability to defeat Heintzman has gone completely unappreciated, I will run in ernest, should the membership choose to re-vote. I threw in the towel once for the purpose of defeating Heintzman, and as you've noted, it's made no difference to his influence over our union.
I won't do that again. And if it means that Heintzman has to steal another corrupt win to help us all see what has gone horribly wrong with our local union, then I believe that is a lesson we all must learn. In the aftermath, I would hope that more of our members become active in union politics, demand greater transparency and accountability from our leaders, and finally turn Ron Heintzman out, once and for all. If Hansen and his goons call me a spoiler after all this, so be it, but it won't be the truth. You know it, and I know that I am not to blame for wrecking this union, but rather the apathy and indifference of the membership rit large.
I rant, so forgive me.
The other issue I have with this piece of yours, with all due respect, is your assertion those of us who threw our hats into the various races are somehow "arrogant". I can't speak to the motivations of others, and neither can you. I can only speak for myself. And arrogant as it may seem, I still believe that our beloved union is broken, and that revolutionary, sweeping changes are required if it is to be repaired.
In the entire year prior to June 15th, I looked for that revolutionary leader; I looked for new hope and vision; I looked for problems that could have solutions; I questioned, I waited, I poked, and I proded. I saw nothing new; I saw no movement toward reforms; I heard no new ideas; and, I felt ignored, dismissed, inconsequential, and under-represented. I began to speak to others, search for like minds, and ask our brothers & sisters what they wanted in new union leadership. Somebody has got to rise up and speak out; someone needs to speak truth to power; and, inveriably, we want somebody to represent US here at home. So, I took a stab at it and lost. I'm proud of what I did, and I'm greatful for all the support I received. I never spend a dime of my own money, and I didn't do it make friends or become popular. I did it because I thought it was the right and correct thing to do.
But you know what they say about the road to hell...
Peace,
The Rampant Lion
ATU membership is it's own worst enemy. How does ATU achieve progress and forward movement in an arena that demands a highly focused and knowledgable leadership ATU team?
ATU 757 remains stuck in the 1980s. They focus on internal fighting, lack of membership loyalty, and prefer to react rather than to lead.
The environment they have created for themselves is no match for the politcal battles ahead.
Sadly..they defeat themselves.
It's hard to believe in Unions if this is what they are like
I agree. At the exact time Union members urgently need to rely upon and feel confident in ATU's leadership...they do this.
TriMet just sits back, watches carefully, implements their agenda, and then they wait. It's almost too easy for McFarlane & Steadman..
ATU leaders to far down in the mud-hole with each other to even notice. When they do notice--they react. Always too late. Leadership demands vision, courage, and a clearly defined path.
For many years, Ron was our Pit Bull. We didn't always like him but we kept him in the yard and let him out to bite management at contract time. Ron was smart enough and tough enough to take these people head on.He ain't pretty but he is tough. Those of us that have been around awhile know that he took care of retirees and could see that keeping good health care was better than a raise that would be taxed away anyway.
He has done a lot for the union as a whole and for that he has my thanks. But, Now is the time to bow out gracefully Ron. Thank you for your service to the union and the country you served.
Thank you for your service to our union Ron, now go the fuck away and enjoy all the money you racked in.
The arrogance of this man is spectacular. He loses the international presidency, wages a fight about it that was throw out due to lack of merit, then thinks he can walk back into 757 and just take over again.
We are aware if your crony base of supporters, who will all be there on the dates of the union meetings, but all I can say is that if you somehow manage to slime your way back into the presidency, COUNT ME OUT OF YOUR UNION and into the republic camp.
The miste lion man is always so predictable. If you mention him he no matter how small he always fires back with a many paragraph rebuttle and alway the same dribble. Please do not mention him or say anything so he will have nothing to say and hope he will start reading other places. Mister lion man please go read someplace else. I agree everyone has the rit to defend them selves but you have worn that right out I would hope to burn it. Mister lion man you have good ideas but it is very clear you should never hold an office. You for whatever reason can not hold your toung. You opponents will make a comment and while you spend the next month spewing verbal dribble of what little thing was said about you they will take that time to do something productive by the time our done vomiting your dribble you will be blindsided. You would never get anything done you would spend your whole time deafening your right to say this or that. Come on get over yourself and join the fight even if the pass is brought up be the bigger man and move forward and don't reply and focus on moving forward. I wager you can't do it. You will always take the bait.
Be careful of what you wish for lion-man, you will become Hunt's best friend. Sometimes retreat, is the best part of valore. Build your brand and grow into something that can't be ignored, in 3 years.
HB
Warren George, ex-International ATU President appointed Heintzman as his successor just after George appointed a scab to the officer of ATU International Rep, which crossed the picket lines at Greyhound Lines, Inc., during the 1990 strike. Heintzman supported George's decision knowing she was a scab. As I see it, this makes both International Leaders incompetent. You don't hire those that took jobs from your own members and pay them $85K. This is treason and should be rewarded as such.
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